(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pocket billiard games played on a conventional table with a novel set of balls and rules devised to create simple rules, increase the possibilities for strategy, and increase spectator interest.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Pocket billiards is conventionally played on a generally rectangular table having a playing surface twice as long as it is wide. Six pockets are provided, one at each of the four corners of the rectangle and one at each center of the two long boundaries, or rails, of the table. Varying numbers of balls, identical in diameter and small enough to be able to enter pockets smoothly, are utilized as targets. In general, one ball, commonly white and known as the cue ball, is propelled by being struck by an instrument known as the cue stick. The usual object of pocket billiard games is to cause the cue ball to contact one or more of the other balls, known as object balls, and further cause one or more object balls to enter pockets.
Numerous pocket billiard games are known in the prior art. Many are described in The Official Rule Book for All Pocket & Carom Billiard Games, published in Chicago by the Billiard Congress of America in 1974 (“BCA 74”)). Still others are described in Billiards: The Official Rules & Records Book, published by the Billiard Congress of America, 4345 Beverly Street, Suite D, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80918-5916, in 2003 (“BCA 03”)). Billiard terms and games referred to herein, unless otherwise specified, are to be understood as defined in BCA 03. All the pocket billiard games mentioned herein, as well as the present invention, utilize a cue ball in addition to the object balls described.
Several of the most popular spectator pocket billiard games are nine-ball, eightball and snooker. Efforts have been made to expose these games to a wide television audience, but each suffers from competitive drawbacks that reduce audience interest.
Nine-ball is played with nine object balls, labeled with the numerals 1 through 9 and racked at the foot of the table in the form of a diamond. The ball nearest the center of the table, called the “apex ball”, is positioned on the foot spot. The opening shot, or break shot is played forcefully with the goal of scattering the balls widely and pocketing at least one of them. This is known as an “open break” and at least four object balls must contact some cushion for the shot to be legal. The player who is successful at pocketing a ball on the break shot may continue playing. At each shot, the player's cue ball must first contact the lowest-numbered ball remaining on the table. The player who first pockets the nine-ball legally is the winner of the “rack”. A nine-ball match is won by the first player who wins a predetermined number of racks.
The skill of professional players at nine-ball is so high that there is a substantial chance that the player who opens the game will “run out”, that is, pocket a ball on the break shot and then sink all the remaining object balls in numerical order and, thus, winning by pocketing the nine-ball last. Since the winner of a rack of nine-ball by the rules is allowed to open the next rack, a skilled player may win several games consecutively without the opponent having a single opportunity to shoot. This aspect of the game reduces competitiveness and exacts a heavy penalty for missing, since the opponent may win the match, or draw insurmountably ahead, when once given the chance to play.
From the spectator viewpoint, nine-ball provides little of the suspense believed necessary to sustain interest. Because the rules of the game dictate which ball is to be played next under all circumstances, there is no opportunity for the spectator to ponder or speculate on what shot the player will attempt. Furthermore, the relatively small number of balls used results in a rack of nine-ball lasting only a short time, typically from one to five minutes
In nine-ball, a player who fouls by failing to contact the lowest-numbered ball on the tablet or who “scratches” by pocketing the cue ball is subjected to the severe penalty of “cue ball in hand”, under which his turn at the table ends and the next player is permitted to place the cue ball anywhere on the table before shooting. The effect of this rule is that a single foul or scratch often leads to loss of the game by giving the opponent an overwhelming advantage.
Eight-ball is the most popular pocket billiard game in the United States. It is played with a standard rack of 15 object balls placed in a triangle. Of these, the balls numbered 1 through 7, inclusive, bear solid colors in addition to numerals and are known as “solids”. The balls numbered 9 through 15, inclusive, bear visual stripes in addition to numerals and are known as “stripes”. The eight-ball is solid black except for an area bearing the numeral “8”. The balls are racked so that the apex ball lies on the foot spot. The opening player must attempt an open break. When a player legally pockets a ball subsequent to the break shot, the “group”, that is, stripes or solids, to which that ball belongs becomes that player's group for the remainder of the rack. A player must contact a ball of his or her group first every shot and keeps playing as long as a ball of that group is legally pocketed. Only when all the balls of a player's group have been pocketed may that player attempt to pocket the eight-ball. The player who first legally pockets the eight-ball is the winner. The break shot on subsequent racks alternates between players, regardless of who won the preceding rack.
Because the balls of a player's group, that is, stripes or solids, need not be contacted or pocketed in any particular order, the player at the beginning of a rack has numerous balls at which to play and may plan a sequence leading to a runout. Therefore, eight-ball suffers from the same deficiency as nine-ball in that the chance of a runout is high and the penalty for a foul is cue ball in hand, by which competitiveness is reduced. Additionally, eight-ball can be played by only two players or two teams of players, thus limiting the options as to the number of participants.
Snooker is the most popular pocket billiard game in the United Kingdom and the Far East. It is played on a 12-foot table having narrow pockets and with 21 small object balls consisting of 15 solid red object balls and six other object balls known as colors, each of a different solid color. The 15 reds are racked in a triangle, while the colors are placed at the beginning of the game, or “frame”, on predefined spots on the table. The general object of snooker is to pocket a red ball, then a color, then another red ball and another color, alternately, until no more red balls remain on the table. At that point, the colors must be pocketed in a predetermined order. Any color pocketed immediately after a red is pocketed is returned to the table. A player receives one point for pocketing a red and a greater number of points for pocketing a color. The colors, although the balls themselves do not bear numerals, are assigned point values from 2 to 7. Snooker possesses a complex system of penalties for infractions of the rules. For example, failing to contact a color when required or failure to contact a red when required is a foul, for which from four to seven points is to be added to the opponent's score. The frame terminates when all balls have been pocketed. The player with the larger number of points at that time is the winner.
It is not regarded as advantageous to play a break shot in snooker because of the low probability of pocketing a ball. Therefore, a frame of snooker generally begins with positional maneuvering, in which the players attempt to leave the cue ball in a disadvantaged location for the opponent, rather than try to pocket a ball.
In contrast to nine-ball, which is too rapid, snooker is too slow. Even if the players never miss a shot, 36 balls must be pocketed before the frame ends (fifteen reds, each followed by a color, then followed by six colors in order.) With the narrow pockets, a single frame may take more than 30 minutes for professional players and considerably longer for beginners. Because points are awarded for defensive play, that is, placing the cue ball in such a position that the opponent cannot hit the required ball, stretches may occur in which the players are not even attempting to pocket a ball, which lengthens the game and causes tedium for players and spectators alike.
Perhaps the biggest drawback in the most popular billiard games is the inability of more than two people to participate. Thus, in a gathering of three or four people, only two may play while the others are spectators.